1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dowels used in the woodworking industry to secure two pieces of wood together. In particular, the present invention relates to novel dowels made of a thermosetting resin and a process for making such dowels.
2. State of the Art
In production of cabinets, furniture and other similar items from wood,, adjoining pieces of wood are held securely together with dowels. Almost universally, the dowels have heretofore been made of wood. It has been suggested to make dowels from thermoforming plastic materials, but such dowels have not been commercially acceptable mainly because they are incapable of adhering to the glues used in the woodworking industry. Plastic dowels have heretofore required elaborate surface features that create a frictional engagement with the wood into which the dowels are inserted.
In conventional woodworking practice, receiving cavities are formed in each of the respective pieces of wood that are to be held together. When the pieces of wood are assembled, liquid glue is injected into the dowel receiving cavities. Dowels are then inserted into the cavities and held there by the glue. The gluing of the dowels in the dowel receiving cavities forms a strong bond between the dowel and the piece of wood into which the dowel is received. Dowels made from thermoforming plastic materials will not adhere to the glues used in the woodworking industry, and the bond between the dowel and the piece of wood into which the dowel is inserted must be developed by frictional engagement between the dowel and the cavity that it is inserted into. This frictional engagement does not result in nearly as much bonding strength as obtained with wood dowels that are glued in the cavities. In fact, the bonding strength developed by the frictional engagement of dowels made from thermoforming plastic materials has been so poor that these plastic dowels have not been used commercially to any extent.